Fans of Iowa State basketball, one of the best basketball teams in Iowa, must check out our list of the best Iowa State basketball players of all time. This list contains both current and former Iowa State basketball players, as well as the years in which they competed for the Cyclones.
This group features retired jerseys for All-Stars, NBA stars, and school legends. Who is the greatest Iowa State Cyclone of all time? To learn more, keep reading.
Best Iowa State Basketball Players of All Time
Looking for a rundown of the best Iowa State basketball players of all time? Look no further! We’ve put together a list of the top 10 players in Cyclones history, featuring some of the greatest names to ever wear the Cyclones shirt.
From legendary scorers to tenacious defenders, these athletes represent the very best of Iowa State basketball. Let’s dive in and see who made the cut!
10. Marcus Fizer
Fizer was the tournament’s most valuable player in the 2000 Big 12 Tournament. In the 1999β2000 season, he scored 844 points, which is a new record. While playing for the Cyclones, he amassed 1,830 points.
It’s safe to assume that he’d be an All-American as well. Dribble slam by Fizer over 7-foot Longhorn. It’s safe to say that Chris Mihm has slam-dunked more than anyone else at Hilton (Matt Thomas has the best dunk, obviously).
As far as Iowa State is concerned, Fizer is the best draft pick in school history. He was inducted into Iowa State’s Hall of Fame in 2015.
Hilton Magic Legends, which will compete in this summer’s TBT Tournament, has hired him as their head coach.
Fizer also participates in a podcast called Cye of The Storm where he discusses current news about the Cyclones basketball team.
Excited for tonightβs pod. Episode 2 of @CyeOfTheStorm Recapping the @CycloneFB victory over #IowaHawkeyes #CYhawk π is home! Special thx to our sponsor @ReveltonDC, time to get the mood right π€π½ #cyclONEnation Like & Subscribe Now πͺβ€οΈπ pic.twitter.com/MIIgoACnrv
— Marcus Fizer Sr (@RealMarcusFizer) September 14, 2022
9. Jeff Hornacek
Former NBA player and coach Jeffrey John Hornacek now works as an advisor with the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association. He played shooting guard in the NBA from 1986 until 2000 after graduating from Iowa State University.
While playing for Johnny Orr, he was named to the Big Eight Conference’s honor roll. As a point guard for the Cyclones, he guided the team to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament in 1986. Hornacek’s 26-foot jumper at the buzzer in overtime gave Iowa State its first NCAA tournament victory since 1944 (March 14, 1986).
Through his efforts, the Cyclones were able to advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament by defeating the No. 2 seed Michigan, 72-69. Hornacek set the ISU record with 665 career assists and the school record with 1,312 career points. He was the fourth player in Cyclone basketball history to have his jersey number retired when his No. 14 was hung from the rafters of Hilton Coliseum in 1991.
As far as the best Iowa State basketball players in the NBA go, Jeff Hornacek clearly deserves to be on the list.
Great to have Jeff Hornacek back in Ames this weekend! #ISUAlumniReunion #Cyclones πͺ pic.twitter.com/m4ZnVSvye3
— Iowa State Menβs Basketball (@CycloneMBB) August 4, 2018
8. Jamaal Tinsley
When it comes to the best Iowa State basketball players in the NBA, one of the first names that come to mind is Jamaal Tinsley.
Jamaal claims the gym is “simply another one,” Tinsley is one of, if not the finest, point guards in Iowa State’s illustrious history.
He’s got the best ball-handling skills I’ve ever seen, and he’s also only the second Cyclone in school history to record a triple-double.
Tinsley had a triple-double in just his 14th NBA game. Prior to Steph Curry popularizing the buzzer-beating three-pointer in the NBA, he scored one himself. Tinsley’s style of play was quite reminiscent of “street ball.” From 2001 until 2013, he was actively employed in the field of professional baseball.
He was inducted into the Iowa State University Hall of Fame in 2016.
Happy birthday to one of the π, Jamaal Tinsley! @jatinsley #Cyclones pic.twitter.com/l5R8WeryjT
— Iowa State Menβs Basketball (@CycloneMBB) February 28, 2019
7. Jeff Grayer
For his time with Iowa State (from 1985 to 1988), All-Century Team member Jeff Grayer scored 2,502 points. Hilton Coliseum retired his jersey number after he became the first male basketball player from Iowa State University to compete for the United States in the Olympics.
Grayer’s official career lasted until the 1998β1999 season when he was second on the Quad City Thunder in scoring with 18.5 points per game in his final season of play.
Additionally, Grayer was inducted into the Iowa State University Hall of Fame in 1999.
Happy birthday to Jeff Grayer! #Cyclones pic.twitter.com/9ByFk8gRk4
— Iowa State Menβs Basketball (@CycloneMBB) December 17, 2021
6. Georges Niang
American-Senegalese Georges Niang plays basketball for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association. He played college basketball at Iowa State and earned All-American honors.
In 2013, Niang’s first season in the league, he was selected to the Big 12’s All-Rookie Team. As a sophomore, he led Iowa State in scoring with 16.7 points per game and was the Cyclones’ third-leading scorer behind Melvin Ejim and DeAndre Kane with 4.5 rebounds per game.
Niang averaged 15.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game as a junior, leading the team in scoring. As a senior, Niang averaged 20.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game on his way to a career-scoring total of over 2,000.
On February 11, he was one of 35 players placed on the Naismith College Player of the Year midseason watchlist.
Niang set a number of milestones for his collegiate team during his time there. He is the all-time leader in both games played and victories, and he is the only player in program history to make four consecutive NCAA playoffs.
He is also a very well-known golf fan and he promotes his own golf outing every Summer.
A great day at the @GeorgesNiang20 Golf Outing! #Cyclones | #C5C pic.twitter.com/YlVDbrchoO
— Iowa State Menβs Basketball (@CycloneMBB) July 29, 2022
5. Fred Hoiberg
Hoiberg, Fredrick Kristian, is a college basketball coach and former player from the United States. Hoiberg is a native Iowan who attended and played basketball for Iowa State University.
A talented athlete on multiple fronts, Hoiberg captained the basketball and football teams at Ames High School in Ames, Iowa.
He captained his high school basketball team to a 1991 state title. Instead of taking one of the numerous other basketball offers he received, he opted to play for his hometown Iowa State Cyclones, who competed in the Big Eight Conference at the time.
Fred spent three seasons under Johnny Orr and one under Tim Floyd. In 1995, Hoiberg was named to the Big Eight Conference’s First Team.
Hoiberg’s number 32 has been retired by Iowa State. He is amongst some of the top seven players in practically every statistical category, making him arguably the school’s most popular basketball player. He was a well-rounded player who could come up big in crucial moments during his collegiate career.
Random Pacer of the day (day 38)
Fred Hoiberg pic.twitter.com/ipGexr5xZE
— MylesTurnerMuse (@MylesTurnerMuse) August 26, 2022
4. Melvin Ejim
Canadian-Nigerian basketball star Melvin Obinna Ejim presently plays for Unicaja in Spain’s top professional league, the Liga ACB. He was a basketball star at Iowa State University. His post-college professional basketball stops included Italy, Russia, Spain, and the NBA Development League.
As a freshman at Iowa State, Ejim started 30 out of 32 games. He averaged 10.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per contest. He was the second-best steals producer on the squad with 39 and shot 48.6 percent from the field. It was one of 13 freshman scoring leaders for Iowa State, and his 214 boards were good for third among freshmen.
Ejim averaged 9.3 points and 6.6 rebounds in 29 starts for Iowa State’s 34 games in 2011-12. He was named Academic All-Big 12 and received Honorable Mention in the Big 12. In 2012β13, Ejim was a top forward in the Big 12, earning recognition as a member of the league’s third-team All-Conference and the NABC’s second-team All-District 8.
Not only was he recognized as the first Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year, but he was also selected as a Capital One Academic All-District 6 selection. He is only the third player at 6’6″ or shorter to lead the Big 12 in rebounding, and the first Cyclone to do it since Jackson Vroman in 2004.
Cyclones to score 35+ points since 2008.
48- Melvin Ejim vs. TCU, 2014
42- Craig Brackins vs. KU, 2009
38- Craig Brackins vs. UH, 2008
37- Naz Mitrou-Long vs. Drake, 2016
35- Isaiah Brockington vs. WVU, 2022#TBT pic.twitter.com/vIiSUE7z5z— Mike Green (@Beener1435) February 24, 2022
3. DeAndre Kane
DeAndre Kane, an American-born native Hungarian basketball player, last played for Peristeri in the Greek Basket League and BCL. Before becoming a pro, he played collegiate basketball at Marshall and Iowa State.
Marshall graduate was instantly able to transfer to Iowa State. Kane made the Wooden Award midseason top 25 watch list. He was named a Naismith College Player of the Year finalist on February 13. He’s a third-team All-American, per Sporting News. Without a doubt, DeAndre is one of the best Iowa State basketball players to ever wear the shirt.
ππππ ππ’π ππ πππ°ππ¨π¦ππ« π¨π ππ‘π ππππ«
DeAndre Kane's impact at Iowa State was immediate and it was significant. Kane earned Associated Press Second-Team All-American honors in his lone season at ISU, averaging 17.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.9 assists. pic.twitter.com/gkFtymnA1a
— Iowa State Menβs Basketball (@CycloneMBB) May 4, 2020
2. Ray Wehde
Ray Wehde attended Iowa State from 1943 to 1948 and played on the school’s Final Four squad in 1944. He had four points against Pepperdine but fouled out early against Utah, the eventual champions, with four fouls.
He topped the team for three of his four seasons with the Cyclones in scoring. His 124 points as a freshman were more than any other player in Cyclone history (or 7.8 ppg). In 1947, he averaged 8.3 points per game and was First Team All-Big Six.
In 1944, All-American Wehde placed fourth in the 120-yard hurdles, demonstrating his athletic prowess on the track. The players camped out at Boston Garden and slept on cots on the floor throughout training. In 2010, he was honored by being elected into the Iowa State University Hall of Fame.
On the eve of draft here is Ray Wehde, ISU's 1st draft pick. He was drafted by Boston & is pictured w/brother Roy. pic.twitter.com/UR8mZpTyPS
— Iowa State Menβs Basketball (@CycloneMBB) June 26, 2013
1. Monte Morris
Topping our list of best Iowa State basketball players of all time is Monte Morris. He is a leading candidate for “greatest point guard in school history.” Morris recorded an impressive 134 assists in his rookie season. His final stats as a player were 1,708 points, 768 assists, and 225 steals, making him the all-time leader in the NCAA in that assist-to-turnover ratio. In 2017, MontΓ© was named to the Big 12’s elite first team.
In 2016, HyVee and MontΓ©, a native of Flint, Michigan, collaborated to bring 11 semis worth of bottled water to Flint, whose water is/was poisoned with lead.
Smooth jumper from Monte Morrisπ pic.twitter.com/wva6VZUtZt
— NBC Sports Wizards (@NBCSWizards) October 2, 2022
Credits on Featured Image: Max Goldberg from USA,Β CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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